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Hadith al-Dawat wa l-Qirtas

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Ḥadith of Dawāt and Qirṭās (Arabic: حَديث الدَواة و القِرطاس; lit. Hadith of Pen and Paper) refers to an incident in the final days of the Prophet Muhammad (s)'s life, when he requested writing materials to record a statement that would guide the Muslim community and prevent deviation after him. This request was denied by 'Umar b. al-Khattab, and the Prophet's intended will remained unspoken.

This event is regarded as one of the most well-known and significant incidents, documented by the authors of the al-Sihah al-Sitta, Sunan collections, and biographical works. Although the reports differ slightly in detail, the core narrative—that 'Umar b. al-Khattab prevented the Prophet (s) from dictating his will—has also been transmitted from ʿUmar himself.

According to Shia views, the Prophet's (s) intention was to emphasize the succession of Imam 'Ali (a) after him.

Text and Content of Hadith

According to historical sources, in the final days of his life—on Safar 25, 11/May 22, 632—the Prophet (s) was bedridden and addressed some of his companions, asking them to bring him ink and paper so that he could write something by which they would never go astray afterward. 'Umar b. al-Khattab rejected the request, reportedly saying, "The Prophet (s) is speaking nonsense!" and, according to some accounts, added, "You have the Qur'an, and the Book of God is sufficient for us." A dispute then arose among the companions, and when the Prophet (s) witnessed their disagreement, he asked them to leave his presence.

This story has been narrated with varying details and wordings across different sources. The following statements have been reported in those accounts:

  • "Bring me ink and a bone to write down for you something, after which you never go astray."[1]
  • "Let me write for you something, after which you will never go astray."[2]
  • "Bring me ink and paper [so that] I write for you something, after which you never go astray."[3]

In some reports, the name of the person who objected is not mentioned, while other accounts explicitly identify 'Umar b. al-Khattab as the one who opposed the Prophet's (s) request. The statement attributed to ʿUmar has also been narrated with varying wordings, as follows:

  • "Surely, the Prophet of God (s) is saying nonsense."[4]
  • "Surely, the messenger of God (s) is saying nonsense."[5]
  • "Surely, this man is saying nonsense."[6]
  • "Did the messenger of God (s) say nonsense?"[7]
  • "What is with him? Did he say nonsense? Ask him!"[8]
  • "Surely, he is overwhelmed by pain, and the Qur'an is with you. Suffices us the book of God."[9]

In al-Muraji'at, Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din argues that the phrase “he is overwhelmed by pain” was added by Sunni narrators to soften the harshness of the original language.[10] He supports this claim with a report cited by Abu Bakr Ahmad b. 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Jawhari in al-Saqifa, narrated from Ibn 'Abbas, stating that "'Umar said something which meant that the pain has overwhelmed the Prophet (s)."

Sources

Sunni Sources

The hadith of pen and ink has been mentioned in many reliable Sunni sources, including:

Shia Sources

Taking Position towards it

Shia's Position

Shia scholars regard this as one of the most significant incidents, as it thwarted the Prophet's (s) intention to safeguard the Muslim community from deviation.[20] In some versions of the narration found in Sunni sources, Ibn 'Abbas is reported to have described the prevention of the Prophet's (s) will as a great calamity, and he wept over it.[21]

In al-Muraji'at, Sharaf al-Din al-'Amili presents several criticisms of 'Umar b. al-Khattab in relation to this incident, drawing on verses from the Holy Qur'an. These include the following:[22]

  • Not following the Prophet's (s) order and objecting to him.
  • Speaking as if he was more knowledgeable than the Prophet (s) about the benefits of the Qur'an
  • Attributing nonsense to the Prophet (s)

In the view of Shia, this reaction of 'Umar b. al-Khattab is against many of the verses of the Qur'an, including:

  • "Take whatever the Apostle gives you, and relinquish whatever he forbids you,"[23]
  • "Your companion has neither gone astray, nor gone amiss; Nor does he speak out of [his own] desire: it is just a revelation that is revealed [to him], taught him by One of great powers."[24]

Sunni Views

Some Sunni scholars have tried to justify this story, including:

  • Some have considered this narration (despite its mention in major Sunni sources) weak and unreliable.
  • Some have interpreted this narration differently; for example, they have interpreted the verb "hijr" as leaving and have said that 'Umar meant that the Prophet (s) is leaving us or he was asking a negative interrogation, meaning that the Prophet (s) does not say nonsense.
  • Or that 'Umar's word about sufficing the Qur'an (and having no need for the will of the Prophet (s)) was a sign of his strong fiqh and accurate view.
  • In some versions, the speaker of the sentence is not known, and it has been mentioned as plural.

Prophet's (s) Intention

According to Shia scholars, the hadith in which the Prophet (s) said, "I will write something, after which you will never go astray," along with the hadith of Thaqalayn, in which he stated, "I leave among you two things: the Book of God and my Ahl al-Bayt (a), as long as you hold to them, you will never go astray", share a common purpose: affirming the caliphate of Imam 'Ali (a). Shia scholars believe that the Prophet's (s) intention was to secure the Imamate and caliphate for his household (a), and that when some of those present realized this, they intervened to prevent it.[25] In a conversation between Ibn 'Abbas and the second caliph, Ibn 'Abbas reported that, "When he (s) was ill, the Prophet (s) intended to name Imam 'Ali (a) as his successor, but I prevented him out of concern for Islam and its preservation."[26]

Cause of the Prophet's (s) Withdrawal from Writing

According to some Shia scholars, the Prophet (s) refrained from writing his will due to the reaction that followed his request, recognizing that his words would no longer carry influence but instead provoke dispute after his passing. They argue that even if the Prophet (s) had written the will, some would still have dismissed it as nonsense.[27]

Notes

  1. ↑ Mufīd, al-Irshād, vol. 1, p. 184; Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1401 AH, vol. 4, p. 66; Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 5, p. 76.
  2. ↑ Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 5, p. 76.
  3. ↑ Ibn Saʿd, al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 2, p. 242.
  4. ↑ Ibn Saʿd, al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 2, p. 187.
  5. ↑ Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 5, p. 76.
  6. ↑ Irbilī, Kashf al-ghumma, vol. 1, p. 402; Ibn Taymīyya, Minhāj al-sunna, vol. 6, p. 19.
  7. ↑ Ibn Taymīyya, Minhāj al-sunna, vol. 6, p. 24.
  8. ↑ Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1422 AH, vol. 6, p. 99; Nawawī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim b-sharh al-Nawawī, vol. 11, p. 93.
  9. ↑ Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1422 AH, vol. 6, p. 9; vol. 7, p. 120; Nawawī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim b-sharh al-Nawawī, vol. 11, p. 90.
  10. ↑ Sharaf al-Dīn, al-Murājiʿāt, pp. 520–521.
  11. ↑ Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1401 AH, vol. vol. 1, p. 37; vol. 4, p. 31; vol. 4, p. 66, vol. 5, p. 137-138; vol. 7, p. 9.
  12. ↑ Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 5, p. 75; vol. 5, p. 76.
  13. ↑ Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, vol. 2, p. 45.
  14. ↑ Bayhaqī, al-Sunan al-kubrā, vol. 9, p. 207.
  15. ↑ Ibn Saʿd, al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 2, p. 242; vol. 2, p. 243; vol. 2, p. 243-244; vol. 2, p. 244; vol. 2, 244-245.
  16. ↑ Mufīd, al-Irshād, vol. 1, p. 184.
  17. ↑ Mufīd, Awāʾil al-maqālāt, p. 406.
  18. ↑ Nuʿmānī, al-Ghayba, p. 81-82.
  19. ↑ Ibn Shahr Āshūb, Manāqib Āl Abī Ṭālib, vol. 1, p. 236.
  20. ↑ Jawharī, Muqtaḍab al-athar, p. 3.
  21. ↑ Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1401 AH, vol. 5; p. 137-138; Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 5, p. 76.
  22. ↑ Sharaf al-Dīn, al-Murājiʿāt, p. 526.
  23. ↑ Quran 59:7.
  24. ↑ Qur'an 53:2-5.
  25. ↑ Sharaf al-Dīn, al-Murājiʿāt, p. 527.
  26. ↑ Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, vol. 12, p. 20-21.
  27. ↑ Sharaf al-Dīn, al-Murājiʿāt, p. 527.

References

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  • Bayhaqī, Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusayn al-. Al-Sunan al-kubrā. Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, [n.d].
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  • Bukhārī, Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl al-. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1401 AH.
  • Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd b. Hibat Allāh. Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha. Edited by Muḥammad Abū l-Faḍl Ibrāhīm. Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Kutub al-ʿArabīyya, 1387 AH.
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